Leaf Gutter Guard: Buying Guide

For a building to stay in good condition for some good period of time, it has to have rain gutters and downspouts. If a house (or building) doesn’t have rain gutters & downspouts, the rain can splash dirt on to its sidings and walls. The rain may even erode the soil around the basement’s foundation. When waste materials accumulate in rain gutters & downspouts, they cause rain water to accumulate, which in turn damages the roof and other parts of the house. Installing a leaf gutter guard can help to avert these conditions.

What Is A Leaf Gutter Guard?

Materials such as leaves, flowers, seeds and other debris accumulate in open rain gutters at the roof-tops’ edges. This accumulation of materials defeats the number one purpose of installing rain gutters. Leaf Gutter Guards were introduced so as to prevent the waste materials from blocking the rain gutters and causing rainwater accumulation. The leaf gutter guard is a covering which is fitted over rain gutters. They are sometimes referred to as gutter screens, gutter covers, or rain gutter guards. Gutter covers have small holes or perforations which allow only water into the gutters, thereby preventing the gutter and downspouts from getting clogged with leaves and other debris.

The Different Types of Gutter Guard Screens

i. Solid Covers

The top surface of these gutter guards is solid and without perforation. Their top surface results in a curved front-part which ends in vertical slits or holes. The rain water falls on top of the top-portion and flows through the slits/holes, thereby leaving leafs and other particles on the top. As time passes, the large debris falls off the roof slowly.

ii. Snap-In Gutter Covers

These don’t require you to get rid of the existing installations. This type of leaf gutter guard is fastened on top of the gutter to cover and prevent the leaves and other debris from entering and blocking the rain gutter.

iii. Screen or Mesh Rain Gutter Guards

This type of leaf gutter guard is fixed to the gutter’s open part. The mesh or screen prevents large debris from flowing into the rain gutter.

iv. Gutter Foam

The foam is porous enough to only allow water and very tiny particles to flow through it. The growth of mold and algae is also prevented by this gutter foam’s chemicals. The Gutter foam is also said to be fire resistant.

v. Gutter Shingles

These are made in a variety of shades, and hence they can gel with every roofing shingle. In addition to providing a solid cover to the rain gutter, gutter shingles also protect the gutters on which they are installed. With their notched clips, these gutter shingles can easily be attached to any pitch roof.

The Cost of Leaf Gutter Guards

This is determined by a number of factors; however, the most important one is the amount of rain gutter protection that is needed for a particular house or building. For that reason, the larger the house or building, the more the gutter protection that house/building will need, and hence the higher the cost. If you want to get an accurate quote, you need to have the gutters of your house/building measured.

The Leaf Man’s gutter guards are very effective at disallowing leaves from entering the gutters. Many home owners say that with leaf gutter guards installed on their houses, they feel safe and at peace in their homes. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t drop the idea of cleaning the gutters even after you have installed these rain gutter guards, be sure to check these once a year to keep them working their best.

For more information on the leaf gutter guard products available from The Leaf Man, contact us today!